Dave Bautista Interview

Dave Bautista Goes From Playing A Hated Wrestler To An Evil Henchman On Screen

DB: It was hard in every way imaginable. I mean, just getting auditions was rough. But also just learning how to act — when I did my first role, in a film I did which was a favour to a friend, I realised I was really bad at it. I didn’t think I would be so bad because I thought the WWE would help me prepare more, but then I realised on set that it was so different and so intimate and almost claustrophobic, that I could just feel how bad I was, and I was actually really embarrassed. I was on set there with other people who weren’t the best actors in the world either, but at the same time I was embarrassed because I knew I was giving a bad performance and I didn’t want that to happen again. So, it became a challenge and I wanted to pursue it. And I knew that I needed it.

AM: Would you want to return to the WWE?

DB: I went back for about four months when we wrapped on Guardians. After I landed the role of Drax I knew that that was what I had left WWE to accomplish and then some. It was so much bigger than anything I had ever imagined. But then I felt like I could return on my own terms and not having failed at what I left to do.

AM: In the WWE you were a good guy and a heel — what do you prefer doing?

DB: Oh I’m a heel for sure. I’m definitely a heel. I’m better at it, I’m more comfortable with it. A lot of the time, heels will lead the match. That’s my comfort zone, that’s where I’ve spent most of my career. For some reason I’m the guy people love to hate, which I think is weird. People who know me find that very strange, but for some reason I am. I don’t mind being that guy, I have fun with it.

I’m not a very outspoken guy, and I always felt like when you’re a baby face with the WWE you always have to say the right thing, you almost have to be kind of like a boy scout, and you always have to include the fans in it and you have to say cheesy things like ‘with you guys behind me I can accomplish anything!’ and I hate saying shit like that because it feels cheesy, it feels hokey to me. And I don’t like feeling hokey. I like being the bad guy because I can be surly and nasty and angry at everybody. It’s just more fun to me.

AM: What are your predictions for the next Wrestlemania [in 2015]?DB: My prediction — and its stale — but I have to say right off the bat, Sir John Cena will win, because he doesn’t seem to lose to anybody at Wrestlemania. But I don’t know where the company will be at that time, I’m sure that Roman Reigns is going to step up in a big way, I’m sure Brock Lesner will be there. I don’t think The Rock will be back, I’d be surprised if he came back and actually wrestled. So, you know, hopefully Daniel Bryan will be healthy and be back. Honestly I’d like to see CM Punk come back. I don’t know what he’s doing, I know he and the company are at odds, but I think he would be good for business and I hope to see him come back.AM: Speaking of The Rock, would you want to take a career move like The Rock has taken, doing lots of action movies? DB:No, not at all. I guess I’m kind of the anti-Rock. I’m not that guy and I’ve never aspired to be that guy, and I don’t want people to start casting me in those roles. Especially, I don’t want to ever be compared to The Rock because I’d be the poor man’s version of The Rock. I’m just not him, it’s not who I am as a person or as a performer. The Rock’s very big and bold and I’m not. I’m just more internalised and even as an actor, the stuff that I do is much more subtle, you know. He’s just so big. When he walks into a room you feel him, and he wants you to feel him walk into a room — he’s very confident. I’d rather sneak in a room and have nobody notice me, and sit in the corner with a few friends and just chill.